Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with buddhist

Differences between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism?

ninotchka — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:59:19 -0800

What are the basic differences between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism? I have an inkling as to some of the very general regional and historical differences between the two, but what are some of the major philosophical differences?

Decoding a Buddhist mural

garethspor — Tue, 05 May 2009 01:51:52 -0800

Curious to find help in decoding a Buddhist mural... A friend and I just moved into a new art studio which came with a pre-existing Buddhist (I believe) mural painted on one entire wall, floor to ceiling. We're definitely planning on keeping it up as it doesn't take up too much working space and is awesome. It was certainly crafted with some serious care and I'm convinced there are some specific symbols and meanings contained in it. Anyone have knowledge in this area or can point me in the direction thereof?

Picture of the mural: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spor/3503173329/

Looking for Buddha in Australia...

LongDrive — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:10:36 -0800

Where can I find a Nepalese-style Buddha statue in Australia? Short of taking a leisurely jaunt overseas, I was wondering if anyone knew of anywhere in Australia (Victoria preferably, but interstate is fine) where I could procure a Nepalese Shakyamuni Buddha statue.

The local temples and such that I know of actually bring them back from Nepal, but as I won't be going o/s for awhile, I'm not sure thats going to be possible right now. Also, because of Australia's strict custom rules, I would be nervous about trying to mail-order anything overseas.

This is for personal practice, so I would ideally like something around the 6–8" mark, and not an antique of any sort, or already filled, as I will have it consecrated locally.

Thanking you in advance for your gracious help as always...

How can I put this?

2or3whiskeysodas — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:47:11 -0800

Help me pick out an appropriate reading for my upcoming wedding, something expressing the wish that the love we feel for each other might also serve as a a foundation for a more universal compassion. Neither of us are particularly religious, although I was raised as a Unitarian Universalist and am presently enamored with Buddhism. A UU minister will be performing the ceremony.

I'm looking for something that will take the place of the standard "Let us pray," portion of the ceremony after the vows have been taken. The sentiment I'd like to express is that love and compassion are humankind's highest capabilities, and the wish that we the love that continues to grow between us might be used as a foundation for a more universal compassion, and might serve to foster the same in others.

I typed that really quickly, in part because it's not fixed in my mind yet and in part because I have to get dressed for work now! But this can be anything--a poem, a prayer, a couple of paragraphs from an essay, whatever. Thanks in advance!

Buddhist in the Bible Belt

karmagirl — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:25:22 -0800

As a Buddhist in the South, how do I politely deal with the often-asked question of where I go to church? I want to be truthful yet non-confrontational with my Christian neighbors and co-workers. Since I'm a newcomer to the upstate area of South Carolina, I get a lot of recommendations and questions about which church to go to. I've tried "playing along" as if I do go to church in an attempt to avoid confrontation, but that only makes things more awkward. When I've tried being honest (I'm a Buddhist and thus don't attend church) it's even worse, and in a couple of cases the person I've been talking with practically just walks away! I want to get along with those who may not share my religious beliefs, but a wall seems to immediately go up when they learn I'm not "one of them". This is especially nerve-wracking with co-workers! Please help me navigate this social situation...

Zen and the art of Zen

Roman Graves — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:40:15 -0800

Help me continue my Zen education. I recently finished Hardcore Zen and it really struck a nerve in ways that other books on the topic have not. I'm looking for suggestions on continued reading. I noticed the "If you liked Hardcore Zen..." section in the back of the book, but I wasn't sure if any of those were worth anything or just a publisher's list.

Is the Dharma Wheel a commonly recognized Buddhist symbol?

aebaxter — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 12:42:16 -0800

Non-Buddhists: Would you recognize the Dharma wheel as a Buddhist symbol? I'm a Buddhist, and I'm considering getting a tattoo of a Dharma wheel on my left forearm. My girlfriend, however, thinks that I'm overestimating American society's knowledge of Buddhist symbolism. She insists that the symbol looks nautical, and the average person would not know what a Dharma wheel was or how it was related to Buddhism. She thinks people will see the tattoo and ask if I'm in the Navy.

So, my question: if you're not a Buddhist, would you recognize a simple Dharma wheel (Wikipedia image here, Google image results for "Dharma wheel" here) as a Buddhist symbol? Do you think the average person would see it as a nautical (or other) symbol?

Note: I don't really care whether other people recognize the tattoo or not, as I'm not getting it for other people, I'm getting it for me. But it will be the first tattoo I've gotten that's in a very visible spot, so that's why my girlfriend is concerned. She thinks it'll get irritating having to explain it all the time.

Buddhist wedding tips?

frosty_hut — Thu, 17 May 2007 13:19:19 -0800

We've been invited to a Buddhist wedding. How can we stay faux-pas-free? We've never been to one of these, and have never been inside a temple. Is there anything I should expect around clothes, like taking off shoes or anything? My impulse would be to wear lighter colors, since it's a wedding and not a funeral, but are there any restrictions or expectations around attire?

Also, it's a same-sex marriage of two men, one of them a co-worker from my new job. I just met him and don't feel comfortable asking him all of this stuff, so I'm hoping you guys can help. Just don't want to be the straight, unenlightened dorks at this thing.

Been lookin fer enlightenment in all the wrong places...

elr — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 10:41:01 -0800

Everything I've read about Buddhism tells me that it's the religion to fill in the holes I feel with my current faith. Unfortunately everything I've read is thousands of years old and while it leaves me with many helpful tips on how I should/could go about the general living-of-life, it leaves me with no clue as to how to go about finding a good temple, organization or place where I can learn meditation technique from a live person in the here-and-now, which is Chicago, Illinois. I was hoping y'all could fill me in. There are many specific schools of Buddhism, I'm not sure which one works best for me, which is why I need to talk to more folks in person.

Know any good Dalai Lama jokes?

timeistight — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 16:20:14 -0800

Know any good Dalai Lama jokes? I have to fill a minute with humour at my next Toastmasters meeting. Since the Dalai Lama was recently in town, I thought I'd tell these jokes, but it would be great to have a couple more. This is for an audience of work colleagues, so the jokes can't be at all offensive. (I'm assuming the gentle jokes I linked to won't offend anyone; please steer me right if you're an offended Buddhist.)

Buddhists and marraige

tommassit — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 12:07:06 -0800

Are Buddhist monks and nuns in the U.S. allowed to marry and have children? Or are they supposed to be celibate?

Austin Buddhism for beginners

aebaxter — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 07:58:45 -0800

How do I decide which (Austin) Buddhist group is the most newbie-friendly? As I read more and more about Buddhism, I find that I want to join a group to learn more about sitting meditation and just to enjoy a sense of spiritual community.

However, being raised as a Christian and never having undertaken any other form of religious practice or observance, I am very, very apprehensive about waltzing into another religious group. Not only that, but I can't even begin to fathom which one I should consider waltzing into. According to this site, there are tons of meditation groups and sanghas out there.

I'm less concerned about adhering to a specific tradition as I am about finding one that is extremely friendly, easy-going and willing to work with a total novice. How can I find out which groups are newbie-friendly, short of emailing them and saying, "I have no idea what I'm doing, will I be embarassed and uncomfortable at your group meeting?" Is that the best way?

Does anyone have any personal experience with any of these Austin Buddhist groups? General recommendations for venturing into social Buddhist practice also appreciated.

Help me pick out juju beads for my Buddhist friend

anarcation — Sun, 05 Dec 2004 21:35:12 -0800

A friend of mine is a fairly recent Buddhist convert, and his birthday is coming up. I (at least like to pretend to) know about Buddhism, so I thought of getting him some juju beads, which he doesn't have yet. What would be an appropriate style/shape/number/anything for juju beads?

Is there a Buddhist equivalent to mass cards?

lilboo — Tue, 03 Feb 2004 09:48:47 -0800

Mass cards. Can I get an equivalent type of thing for a Buddhist prayer service? (more inside) In Catholicism mass cards are sent in when you want to dedicate a mass or another type of prayer service to the memory of someone recently deceased. I need to do something like this for a friend who's (Buddhist) relative just passed away. Can someone point me in the right direction? Is this even an option?